Stuffing-box follower.



W. G. DRIGGS. STUFFING BOX FOLLOWER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 2z. 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

WILLIAM G. DRIGGS, 0F `SAW'.IELLE, CALIFORNIA.

STUFFING-IBOX FOLLOWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed November 22, 1910. Serial N o. 593,650.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM G. DRIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sawtelle, California, have invented a new and useful Stuiiing-Box Follower, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to construct a stuffing-boxfollower especially for useV around the the sucker-rod at the top of an oil well; and my invention consists of the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional detail of the top ofoil well casing and showing the use of a stufling-boX-follower ernbodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the stuffing-boX-follower, as seen looking in the direction of the arrows 2 in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on a plane parallel with Fig. 2 and on the lines 3-3 of Figs. 4; and 5. Fig. 4 is a top plan view as indicated by the arrow 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the lines 55 of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective showing the interlocking teeth.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my stufling-boX-follower consists of two halves A and B, both cast in the same mold, of any suitable boxing metal, such as Babbitt metal.

For a one and one-eighth inch sucker-rod, I make the stuffing-box-follower three inches long and two inches outside diameter. rPhe stufling-box-follower is divided longitudinally and the meeting edges of the two halves A and B are provided with interlocking mating inside teeth l and outside teeth 2, said teeth being arranged alternately and evenly spaced apart, and said teeth crossing a radial line at their centers, so as to break up vthe line of division and render it tortuous. The teeth of one-half fit between the teeth of the other half and are arranged so that two pieces cast in the same mold will fit together to form the whole.

A tie wire 3 is placedh in the mold at one end and cast into the metal with its ends free, and a groove L1 is cast into the periphery of the other end, so that when the two pieces ai'e put together the wire cast in one piece will pass around in the groove of the other piece, and then the ends of the wires may be tied together thus holding the two halves together upon the sucker-rod. Both ends 5 and 6 of the stuling-boX-follower are dished.

The well-casing 7 has a coupling or sleeve 8 upon its upper end. Packing 9 is placed in the sleeve S against the end of the casing 7, the cap 10 is placed in the sleeve against the packing, the pump-tubing 11 extends through the cap 10, the packing l2 is placed around the pump-tubing upon the cap, the sleevecoupling 13 is screwed upon the pump-tubing, the nipple 14 is screwed upon the sleeve, the tee 15 is screwed upon the nipple 14, the overflow pipe 1G is screwed into the tee 15, and the sucker-rod 17 extends through the tee 15.

The stutling-box-casing 18 is screwed into the Lipper end of the tee 15, a stuffing-boxg follower' 19 is inserted downwardly into the casing 17, the stiiiling-box-packing 20 is inserted downwardly against the follower, a second follower 21 is inserted downwardly against the packing and a cap 22 is screwed upon the stufling-box-casing 18, the suckerrod extending through the stuffing-box and through the cap.

Heretofore the stu'liing-boX-followers have been solid rings and it was necessary to uncouple the sucker-rod in order to change the followers when they become worn, which is very often. lVith my divided stuffing-boxfollower it is only necessary to slide the followers out of the casing and then separate them.

I claim:

1. A stuiling-box-follower comprising two pieces separable on longitudinal lines, and tie wires cast into one piece and adapted to embrace the other piece.

2. A stuiling box follower' comprising two pieces, separable on longitudinal lines; each of said pieces being provided with interlocking mating' inside teeth and interlocking mating outside teeth; said teeth being arranged alternately and evenly spaced apart, and said teeth crossing a radial line at their centers, the teeth of one half fitting between the teeth of the other half.

3. A stuffing box follower comprising two pieces separa le on longitudinal lines, the meeting edges of the two pieces being provided with interlocking mating teeth arranged alternately and evenly spaced apart so that the teeth of one piece fit between the teeth of the other piece, and the meeting faces of the two pieces crossing a radial line so as to render the line of division tortuous.

4. A stuffing box casing, a sucker rod eX- tending through the casing, a stufling box follower inserted downwardly into the casing, a stuffing box aoking inserted downwardly against the follower, a second stuifing box follower inserted downwardly against the packing and a cap screwed upon the stuing box casing` so that the sucker rod extends through the stuffing box followers and packing, and each of said stuffing box followers comprising two pieces separable 10 on longitudinal lines, and tie wires cast into one piece and adapted to embrace the other piece so that the two pieces may be tied together to hold the followers upon the sucker rod when the followers are out of the stuffing box casing.

v VILLIAM G. DRIGGS.

lVtnesses l CLARENCE J. WILLIAMS, ANNA B. DESSAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

